The majority of research on wife abuse and dating violence neglects women's
personal experiences and focuses on the extent and nature of physical abuse.
Feminist researchers, however, stress the significance of both recognizing women's
voices and acknowledging all forms of abuse against women. The purpose of this
study was to enhance the understanding of women's personal experiences of being in
an abusive, heterosexual relationship by asking women to write narratives
describing their experiences.

Nine women, between the ages of 27 and 46 years and who had left their
abuser, participated in this study. The relationships had become abusive within 2
weeks to 2 years of their beginning, though most became abusive within several
months and one was always abusive. All but one of the women reported receiving
help in leaving the relationship.

The themes that arose from the stories are important because they indicate
what these abused women deem important or relevant to their experiences. While
valuable, much of past research has neglected to focus on what abused women deem
significant. The five themes that emerged from their stories are abusive aspects of
relationships, characteristics of the abuser, respondents' reactions to abuse, abuse
as a private act, and support and advice.